Chickens infected with avian RNA tumor viruses produce IgG antibodies against major avian gs antigens, demonstrating a lack of complete tolerance to these antigens.
Incomplete tolerance permits anti-gs antibody responses in infected chickens; leaves open extension to mammalian retroviral oncology.
Using a radioimmunoassay (RIA) we detected antibodies against one of the major group specific (gs) antigens of avian RNA tumor viruses in chickens with a naturally acquired leukosis virus infection or bearing Rous sarcoma virus (RSV)‐ induced tumors. The antibodies were absent in leukosis‐free animals, but appeared a few weeks after inoculation with infectious RSV. Out of 11 chickens with a natural or experimental infection, nine had demonstrable anti‐gs antibodies. Titers as high as 1:10,000 were observed in chicken sera, but these titers were lower than those in the sera of tumor‐bearing hamsters and guinea‐pigs. The RIA was about 10,000 times more sensitive in the detection of anti‐gs antibodies than the COFAL test. The chicken antibodies could be inhibited with the purified gs antigen and appeared to be of the IgG type. There would seem to be no complete tolerance in chickens at least to one of the major avian gs antigens. The significance of these results as related to the presence and nature of gs antigens in normal cells is discussed.
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Ruoslahti et al. (1973) studied this question.
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